Many types of portable electronic devices are used for business, information, or entertainment purposes. Portable electronic devices may include smartphones, tablets, computers, cameras, video players, mobile communication devices, electronic media readers, audio players, handheld scanners, two-way radios, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and other types of electronic computing or communication devices, including combinations of the above-identified or other devices. Moreover, a portable electronic device may include one or more processors configured to execute mobile application software, referred to colloquially (and herein) as an “app”. When executed by a processor, an app may operate as, for example, a simple electronic game, word processing feature, internet browser, media player or other operation. Typically the app presents graphical information to a user of the portable electronic device, but may also operate in the background to record and/or process data or sensory information.
A portable electronic device may engage physically and/or electronically with a device that is peripheral thereto (a peripheral device). For example a protective enclosure, as peripheral device, may enclose and protect from damaging force and/or elements a portable electronic device having comparatively sensitive or fragile components. Such components may include, for example, electronic connectors, circuitry, sensors, or glass screens, which can be easily damaged if the device is exposed to elements and/or forces. A user may install a protective enclosure having a robustness chosen to provide a corresponding degree of protection for the user's phone. Other types of devices (e.g., docking stations, remote control devices, printers, etc., to name a few) may constitute a peripheral device.
In some instances circuitry of a peripheral device may execute instructions of a firmware image stored in a memory portion of the peripheral device. The firmware is read from the memory portion and executed by a processor or microcontroller of the peripheral device for performance of the peripheral device's intended function(s). For example, a protective enclosure may include a processor configured, via corresponding firmware, for monitoring and managing charge/discharge of a battery included in the protective enclosure for efficient use by the portable electronic device enclosed.